Many systems have been developed which require locating an object in a coordinate system or at least pointing to an object with high alignment precision. In many instances, when components of a system are to be aligned with respect to one another, the components are situated large distances, e.g., multiple miles, apart. In the past, the processes of pointing and locating have been subject to time consuming effort due to numerous difficulties, including line of sight impediments, relatively large fields of view and noise generally. Alignment with, or determination of, directionality vectors (e.g., horizontal and vertical angles relative to a reference position) is a necessary step for operation of many systems, including tracking and locating systems, photographic equipment, communications links and radar systems. To the extent the equipment is mobile, there must be a repetitive process of performing the alignments. In sensitive communication systems, the data exchanges between the elements of the system can be easily compromised with slight movement of a component. It is at times important to periodically provide for direction determinations and re-alignments as needed. Otherwise, critical signal may be lost. Also, system calibration may degrade or be lost due to vibration which introduces small displacement, wear or maintenance activities which remove or replace components.
Once directionality vectors are determined, a system can be mechanically displaced, e.g., rotated, or electronically adjusted, to perform an alignment or to correct for misalignments. For example, an antenna may be aligned with respect to a relatively weak non-terrestrial source by rotation once a locating system determines the direction of location. In the past, many processes or systems have been used alone or in combination to accurately make the determinations. Perhaps most commonly, optical line of sight techniques (e.g., boresight and laser-based alignments) have played a key role in many such systems. However, the systems have difficulty operating in low signal-to-noise environments. When alignments are performed over distances greater than a kilometer, changes in atmospheric conditions can introduce highly variable delays in the alignment process. Cloud cover, fog, precipitation, optical distortions due to thermal gradients and other visibility factors are frequent impediments.